The More You Keep, The More You Lose
The More You Keep, The More You Lose I am baffled by folks who areRead More
Product Review: Grid-It!
The Grid-It! by Cocoon is one of those organizing products that folks get excited about on sight. "Ooh, what's that?" It really is like nothing else. It's essentially a board, of various sizes, with elastic straps, cris-crossing it, in various configurations. It’s useful for holding and organizing all sorts of things, but here are my favorite uses.
Free Up Space With Freecycle
Do you ever see a dumpster with stuff in it that doesn't seem to belong? Maybe it's some perfectly good furniture, some sheets of plywood, or some lightly used office supplies. It's the type of stuff that makes you think, "well I can't put this to good use, but I'm sure SOMEBODY could." That's the type of scenario that's perfect for freecycle.
An Organizing Lesson From The White Stripes
One of the things I say a lot is limitations breed freedom. I've written several posts that demonstrate the value of this paradox , but here's an example you might not expect: The White Stripes.
Product Review: James the Doorman
The Anglo-Swiss design team of Black and Blum are putting the fun in "function." It's worth checking out their website to see what I mean. Exhibit A is James the Doorman, a whimsical adaptation of the classic doorstop.
Organizing D.I.Y Not
Look, I don't pretend that getting organized is the hardest thing in the world. It ain't rocket surgery. But if you're not good at organizing, going the DIY route can be a bit like cutting your own hair. Yes, you CAN do it, but don't be surprised if you don't like the results.
What’s YOUR Revelation?
One of our greatest obstacles is overcoming the suspicion that Professional Organizers are shysters who have figured out a way to get paid from making you throw out all your stuff. Not true. Our focus is not on throwing everything out. The fact is, our focus is on what you are KEEPING and how much, and why, and where it's all going to go. How do we get the best results? It does NOT come from us telling you what you MUST do, but from creating an environment, where you make your OWN revelations. We do this every day, but in this post, I want to share one of our most beautiful examples.
Book Review: Organizing From The Inside Out
Ten years ago I didn't even know there was such a thing as a PROFESSIONAL Organizer. The first one I knew of was Peter Walsh from TLC's Clean Sweep. Not knowing where else to turn, I emailed Mr. Walsh, who started me out with two excellent pieces of advice: join NAPO and read Julie Morgenstern's Organizing From The Inside out.
Are Vampires Lurking in Your Closet?
Last week a woman was giving me a tour of all the organizing challenges in her home and when we came to a closet upstairs, I asked her, “can I see what’s in here?” She said “Oh, I don’t want to show you that. It’s a DISASTER!” After explaining to her that I was in the disaster business, she let me have a look.
Product Review: Rubbermaid All Access Organizers
This storage container has it all. It’s sturdy, stackable, visible, and accessible. I was an instant fan!
Book Review: A Mom’s Guide to Home Organization
If you find that your biggest organizing challenges come from the trials of being a mother, A Mom’s Guide to Home Organization is a great resource. It’s written by Debbie Lillard, a mother of three children and a professional organizer since 2003.
Quantity Dictates Systems
One of the questions I get asked most frequently, before starting an organizing project is “What should I buy?” I have a very simple answer: nothing. This is especially true for the big projects we tend to get this time of year, like garages, basements, attics. The reason comes down to this very simple organizing rule: "quantity dictates systems."
Product Review: mobile clean & go
Once again, another rave review for a very simple product that just works very well. Mobile clean and go is a spray for mobile devices that is packaged in a very neat rectangular container that you can fit in any pocket. As the name suggests, it is designed to go.
Product Review: Lawn Bag Holder
More than any other product, our clients want to know about our lawn bag holder. We set it up with a big contractor bag right after we set up our “decision table.” The big open bag shows, we mean business.
Product Review: The Fujitsu ScanSnap iX500
Our clients often ask, “Shouldn’t I just scan everything and go paperless?” My first thought is that there is probably a lot of paper that should be purged first. My second thought is that, for what’s left, your standard flatbed scanner is not going to cut it. The Fujutsu Scan Snap iX500, however, will.
